Finding Your Passion Strength

Suddenly, there’s a change in your life. You were cruising along and then—boom—you got laid off.

Now you’re at a crossroads, not sure what to do next. You might be in a position where you don’t need to grab the very first job that comes along and instead can take some time to reflect on what you really enjoy. Maybe another corporate job isn’t part of the picture at all, and you’re considering entrepreneurship. Or maybe you realize that while you were good at your job, you only liked the idea of it more than the day-to-day reality. You may have been operating in your zone of high performance, but you were never truly passionate about the work in the first place.

I recently worked with a client who discovered she didn’t actually like sales. She was great at it because of her natural ability to build relationships, but she hated the constant pressure to hit monthly targets and aggressively push deals across the finish line. What energized others felt completely misaligned with her values. So, she pivoted into HR, where she could still use her relationship skills but in an environment that fueled her passion.

This highlights an important distinction: there’s not just one kind of strength.
We can differentiate between performance strengths and passion strengths.

• Performance strengths are skills that come naturally to you and help you achieve results.

• Passion strengths are those you not only excel at but also enjoy using. They energize and motivate you rather than drain you.

Let me share a personal example. I was good at facilitating large group meetings that lasted several days. While I could deliver results, the experience completely drained me. I’d feel like a flat tire for days afterward. On the other hand, I thrive in one-on-one coaching and mentoring conversations and that’s why I became a coach.

I’m passionate about improving processes, aligning systems for better performance, and creating harmony. I love analyzing situations and investigating how to make things better, whether related to people, processes, or technology. I found my groove in Lean/Six Sigma and was often called upon to uncover operational or team issues blocking high performance. That passion for investigation and root cause analysis fueled a 20-year career in operational excellence.

So, what are your performance and passion strengths? Where might you find a career that brings you both joy and energy? How can you maximize your passion strengths while balancing life variables like family, location, and income? What transferable skills could help you pivot into a career that excites you?

Spending your day applying your passion strengths can bring you much closer to finding true joy in your work.

A friend of mine is a great example. She decided to become a music teacher instead of pursuing a career as a concert pianist. While she was highly skilled, she dreaded the constant travel and missed her family while on the road. By redirecting her passion for music into teaching, she created a fulfilling career that fit her lifestyle and values.

Aligning your career with your passion strengths—not just your performance strengths—can be the difference between feeling drained and finding lasting joy in your work.